I Don't Need Protecting!
by SamuraiSammy
Summary: Silver is a princess. Gold is a farmer. When Silver's parents hold a party to find someone Silver takes an interest in, Silver thinks nothing will happen. As the party draws to a close, a golden eyed boy takes Silver away. This begins the story of the Royal Protectors. Why won't the golden eyed boy tell Silver his name, though? Preciousmetal. AU. Note: Silver is still a guy in this
1. Chapter 1: Part 1

**Author's Note:** I just came up with this story from a prompt (that I don't remember) and I really liked it. This is going to be a long shot, not sure how many chapters, and I hope everyone who reads it likes it! ^7^ I really do haha/slapped.

**Warnings:** Cursing, some violence, um... Kidnapping, mentions of murder? I don't know. Just read it XD (This is for the whole story!)

Please read and review! I love to hear what everyone has to say about my writing!

I do not own Pokemon. I wish I did though. I would be rich.

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"Come now, Silver. You make a nice girl."

"But I'm not a girl, Mom. I know you wanted a daughter and not me, but can I go regularly dressed? In pants instead of a dress? Please?"

"We would have preferred a daughter, yes, but we're happy we have you."

"That's why you dress me in girl clothes, right?"

"We dress you in girl clothes so you're more appealing to other kingdoms. Your dad and I aren't getting any younger, and you're the only heir we have. Since you refuse to get your hair cut, we decided you would do better as a princess. You know this all already, so why ask?"

"Because I keep hoping the answer will change. What happens when I get married and my spouse notices I'm not a girl?"

"Then we show him the document that he signed that says that he can't do anything that would cause harm to you in anyway, that he can't hurt the kingdom, and that he can't leave."

I stared. My mom was kind of awesome sometimes. "I didn't know we had a document that said that."

"Well, we will. I'll have our scribe make one."

I looked at her with a frown. "We don't have a scribe. Scribes don't really exist anymore."

"Sure they do." My mom smiled and I sighed.

We lived in modern day Pokevia, which was a town from long ago that had housed royalty. It was like medieval Pokeome, which we learned in elementary school was like the fabled Rome. Pokeome, Rome. A play on words. The townsfolk of Pokevia loved the setting of the medieval times and decided to keep it like that, having farmers and armories and horses and water wells. Now don't get me wrong, we have electricity and running water, but we pretend that that stuff is magic and still act like we're in the medieval times.

My family moved here when I was little, and because both of my parents had been people high up in law the town decided that we would be royalty. We're the very first in our line, and we even live in a castle. Like, a legit castle. Made of bricks and wood, with a garden and a stable for horses. It's insane.

The one thing that I hate about all of this is me being a princess. Apparently, when we moved here, everyone thought I was the cutest girl. They loved my long red hair and my pale skin. My parents both agreed that having a daughter would bring stronger powers to our kingdom, and it would just make sense since everyone thought I was a girl already. This explained why I had long hair, and it explained why I wore dresses all the time. I had initially hated my long hair and wanted it all cut off, but I quickly grew to love it because I could hide behind it.

It didn't bother me that I had to find a husband. Actually, it bothered me a lot because I wanted to have my own time to do what I wanted, but I didn't complain (much). I think that if I get a husband anytime soon then I'll have to give up on training my Pokemon and I'll have to give up on doing what I want. I'm afraid I'll have to listen to what he will say and I won't be able to say anything. It might just be my own worries though. The fact that I had to end up marrying another boy didn't upset me. Truth be told, I liked boys. I even dated some in the past, but those ended badly and it made me sad to talk about them. If I had to be a prince, it would have been a lot harder for me to find anyone I'm attracted to.

Whatever, back story out of the way, I was preparing for the dance tonight. It was the annual "Find Silver a Husband" dance, but everyone simply called it Sylvie's Ball. Sylvie is my girl name. It's short for Sylvestria. Only a few people, my parents and some guards, know my real name and gender. Those people must swear to secrecy.

I rolled my eyes when my mom pulled out a blue dress. I didn't like choosing dresses. "Won't blue clash with my hair color?" I asked, pulling on a strand of my hair.

"Not this color." She smiled and put the dress on my lap. "It matches your hair, and your eyes. We have to make sure the color we choose matches your eyes. Last year you had a white one, and we can't have you wear a white dress again. People would think we don't care about how you look. We would do a black one, but black is a depressing color." She started, crossing her arms. I knew where this was going, and I had to stop it soon.

"I like black." I simply said, looking at the dress. It was a dark blue. It might actually work with my hair. "Can I decide on this one and go outside so I can train my Pokemon?" I asked, sitting up.

My mom sighed and put her hands on her hips. She looked at the dress and at me and smiled, taking the dress off my lap. "Don't be seen." She said, shrugging towards the door.

I sighed and stood, smiling at her. "Thanks. I'll be out in the garden." I went towards the door and opened it, looking around. Whenever I was allowed to go train my Pokemon I had to make sure I wasn't seen. I also had to make sure I didn't talk to anyone, and no one could see my face. I liked being able to be out, since I sometimes sneaked into town, but it made me upset I couldn't just be seen. And because my mom let me dress in boy clothes when I wasn't tasked to talk to anyone I had to be careful of those who saw me go to my room. Thankfully my servants knew what to do when I went outside. Yeah, I have my own personal guards who double as servants, although they hate being called that. They know I'm a guy, so I have nothing to worry about with them.

"Make sure you wear the cloak." I heard my mom say as I closed the door.

"I will." I mumbled, looking down the hall. I briefly wondered if I should wear my voice changing necklace but I shook my head. If I wasn't going to talk to anyone then I didn't need it.

As I left through one of the side doors to get to the garden I heard my Sneasel come rushing out. I felt bad for the little Pokemon, since he was locked up in my room, but when he was able to get out I knew he felt happy. I followed him and watched as he climbed a tree and squeaked, making me chuckle quietly. I reached up towards him and scratched his nose, smiling. "Do you just want to play instead?" I asked, already knowing the answer. I yawned and sat against the tree, picking up a pebble. I tossed it in my hand to get his attention and then threw it across the grass. He hurried down the tree and chased after it, tripping every now and then on the grass. He came back and we played fetch for a while, and then I heard someone talking.

At first it was just a whisper, but my hearing adjusted and I heard a male's voice ask a question.

"She has a Sneasel?... Okay… I'll figure it out. Bye."

I furrowed my eyebrows and pulled my hood up, quickly pushing my hair behind my ears. I leaned forward from the tree and saw a person covered with a cloak. I leaned back again, averting my eyes from him.

"Oh, hey!" I jumped and looked at the boy, but looked away quickly. "Would you mind answering a few questions for me?" He asked loudly, making me flinch. What if people heard him and came over?

"Depends on what you have to ask." I said quietly, looking at him briefly. He was wearing a cloak that covered his other clothing. I didn't see any symbol for royalty on it and I shivered.

"Well, the first one I have to ask is who you are?" He sounded curious. I had to tell him my made up story. I had fabricated a story just in case something like this happened.

"I'm just a servant." I said quietly, sliding down the tree. I saw my Sneasel was watching us and I gave a small nod towards him.

"Are you the servant that the princess loves?" I stiffened and looked at the boy. I could see he was smiling and I looked away, deciding I wouldn't look at him again.

"T-The princess doesn't love anyone." I stuttered over my words and mentally smacked myself. I couldn't stutter again. It wasn't very graceful to stutter. Where the hell had he even heard that? He didn't have a right to say that!

"Then are you the servant that loves the princess?" I blushed and bit my lip. Did someone really love me? I took a deep breath and looked at the grass.

"What makes you think any servants love the princess?" I asked quietly, looking at him out of the corner of my eye. He was now leaning against the short, stone wall and I could see his nose. I thought he might be cute. Maybe. If I could see his eyes I would know.

"It's a rumor that's been going around. Are you sure you haven't heard of it?"

"I've never heard of anything so preposterous." I huffed, crossing my arms. Crap. That sounded like something a royal would say, didn't it?

I heard the boy whistle and my shoulders dropped. It did. I hated when I was right. "Whoa, you sound like royalty." He grinned and I frowned.  
"I'm not. I'm just a servant." I said flatly. I was getting tired of his questions.

"Why can't I see your face then?" I looked at him and saw he was smiling. I stared and then looked away, pulling my hood to the side so he had a harder time seeing my face.

"Why can't I see yours?" I asked, countering his question. I wonder if he had that habit; to bore someone and then bring them back with a completely different question.

I heard him laugh and I frowned. "Touché." I saw him jump onto the wall and turn to face me. He stayed there and watched me, which made me uncomfortable. "Is Sylvie's Ball tonight?"

"Yes." I answered, looking at my cloak. That reminded me that I had to go and get ready soon.

"What time does it start?" He asked. I wondered if he was just distracting me. Maybe someone was killing my parents now and I didn't even know it.

"It's this evening, at four. Are you planning on going?" Perhaps I would be able to find out some information about this boy. He was suspicious.

"I have something to ask the princess" He looked at me and then looked towards the sky. "It's at four, you said?"

"What do you have to ask the princess?" I looked at the sky also and saw it was getting cloudy. "You are aware only royals can attend it, yes? I don't see any royal symbol on you." I looked at him and saw he was leaning forward, watching me. I frowned and looked at my Sneasel, who was staring at the boy.

"You've hardly looked at me. How would you know if I have a symbol or not? It could be under my cloak." The boy said, lifting his arms up. I saw he was wearing strange clothes and I frowned. He didn't look to be from around here. He let his arms drop back down and I looked away, knowing he wasn't a royal.

"If you had a symbol, you wouldn't hide it. Your cloak would have the symbol, and it wouldn't look so ratty. You wouldn't be hiding behind a hood either." I said, pulling on my own hood. I enjoyed calling people out when they tried to trick me. It made me wonder if people thought I was an idiot, like this boy must have.

"Well a servant wouldn't hide behind a hood either." The boy said, lifting his legs up to sit criss-crossed. I realized I had been watching him for a while, and I cursed myself. That was one of the things I couldn't do when I went outside. He must have seen me. That's not good.

"I'm shy." I muttered, pulling my hood around my face. It was kind of pointless to do that now, but I might still have a chance. After all, my hair was tied up and most people recognized me by my hair.

"Hah, very well. I admit, I'm not royalty. I won a raffle to be allowed come to the ball. I do have a question for the princess though." The boy said with a grin, pulling on his own hood.

"A raffle?" I was surprised. Was that true? A raffle could bring dangerous people here! The ball was supposed to be for royalty only; a farmer probably couldn't even afford the proper attire. "That's not a very wise thing to do. I must have a discussion with the queen about that." I said to myself, not realizing the boy was listening. "Ah." I had to focus on what he had just said. "Unless you get to dance with the princess I doubt you'll be able to ask her any questions. But dancing with her is something only royals get to do." That was actually the truth. I looked at the boy when he moved off of the wall and stood on the grass. My Sneasel growled and I looked away.

"Only royals, huh. So servant, when do you have to be back to your princess?" The boy asked, walking towards me. I refused to look at him again and turned my head to the side.

"Soon. You should leave before someone sees you." I said, looking at my Sneasel. He was glaring at the boy and I stiffened.

"I suppose so. But servant," I felt my hood get pulled down and I gasped, looking at the boy. He was wearing strange glasses, I think they were called goggles, and his eyes were a shade of brown. Or yellow. "You're awfully pretty. I hope I see you at the dance."

I blushed and stood, causing the boy to move away. He was cute. And he called me pretty. I hated him. "I-If the princess needs me I'll be there. I have to go now." I moved away but tripped over a root from a tree. I caught myself before I fell and I looked back at the boy, noticing he now wasn't wearing his hood. "Uh, yeah. You should go." I said, petting my Sneasel's head. He had come running over to me as soon as the boy pulled my hood down.

"Of course." The boy nodded and I turned away. "I love your hair color though. Would you mind telling me your name?"

"I can't. It's a secret." I said over my shoulder, looking at my Sneasel. I saw he was glaring at the boy and I frowned. "Come, Sneasel." I said, pulling my hood back up. My heart was slowing down, thank Arceus.

My Sneasel walked over to the boy and raked his claws down his leg. I gasped and ran over to him, picking it up. The boy was holding his leg and mumbling something and I swallowed. "I'm sorry, but that is what you get for messing with the princess." I said, realizing what I had just said. "Princesses servant, I mean. Princesses servant." I bit my lip and turned away, hoping the boy would be okay. It was just a scratch, right?

When I got back inside of the castle I sighed. I had to punish my Sneasel for doing that. But first I had to go talk to my parents. I set my Sneasel down and hit his head gently, then turned and made my way to where they would be.

If I had known who that boy was at the time, I wouldn't have felt bad for what my Sneasel did.


	2. Chapter 1: Part 2

**Warnings: **INCREDIBLY LONG. It needed to be though, since this is the end to the beginning. ;D Boys kissing. Like, two swear words, mentions of blood. Oh, OC's had to be involved a little. After this chapter, you never hear from them again, so have no fear! Yep.

Please read all the way to the end, and review! They make me more motivated to write.

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"We can't tell him. He'll only worry."

"But it's concerning! What if it actually happens?"

"We can't cancel the dance. We'll just put out more security, okay?"

I opened the door and looked around. My parents stared at me with wide eyes. I looked at my guard, Vince, and he looked away. "What's going on?" I asked. If something was going to happen I had to know about it.

"Nothing, sweetie. Nothing is going on." My mom came over and cradled my head in her hands. "How about Vince go and take you to your room so you can get ready, okay?" She asked me with a smile. I looked at my dad and saw he had a crumpled up piece of paper in his hand.

"What's Dad holding?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't want to go get ready. It was already lunch time anyways.

"Vince will tell you in your room, okay?" My mom said, looking at Vince and turning me around. "Go get dressed then go eat something. There's only four hours until the party." I sighed and looked at Vince. At least he would tell me what was going on. I left the room and pulled my hood up, looking both ways down the hallway.

"Come on, Princess." I heard my guard say behind me. I elbowed him and turned to go to my room.

"Ow. Why did you have to elbow my stomach? I haven't eaten all day!" I rolled my eyes and looked at him.

"It's because you called me princess. I told you before to not call me that unless people are around." I looked back at him. "Why didn't you eat anything? Didn't you get breakfast this morning?"

"I was training some guards. I forgot to eat. I'm just going to eat with you instead." Vince said, looking out a window.

I scoffed and opened the door to my room. "What makes you think I would want to eat with you?" I asked, pulling my hood down. I had made sure to tell my parents to make sure no one went into my room while I was away. I smirked when hands warped away my waist and I looked at Vince.

"A little bird told me you liked my company." He said, nuzzling his face into my back. "I'm hungry. I'm going to eat with you." I sighed and grabbed his hands. I moved them away and walked underneath them, facing him.

"If you're going to eat with me then you have to tell me what my parents were hiding from me." I said, letting his hands go and walking towards my bed. I pulled my hair tie out and ran my fingers through my hair.

Vince walked towards me and I turned away. "I won't freak out with whatever it is, so just tell me." I said, pulling out a dress from the closet. I frowned and looked at Vince. "Will you please kill me now?"

"Nah. I think I would get in quite a bit of trouble if I did. Besides, you have to find your husband tonight." Vince frowned and I rolled my eyes. I felt bad for him. He really did care about me. I didn't though. Well, I did but not in the way he cared about me. I was playing him and I was too chicken to tell him.

"Fine, don't kill me. Will you at least tell me what my parents were talking about?" I asked, taking my cloak off. I threw it on my bed and Vince folded it.

"The prince from Snaug is going to be coming." He sat down on my bed and I looked at him. "The one you despise, remember?" I frowned.

"I remember. He isn't as bad as someone else though" I held the dress up to my shoulders. "Is this the right dress to lie under the radar with?" I asked, looking outside as thunder clapped. I looked back at Vince and he was staring at me. I bit my lip and turned away, folding the dress over my arm. "I hope you're telling me the truth, Vin. I have to get dressed, so you should look away or something." I mumbled, sighing. I felt like he wasn't telling me the truth. The prince of Snaug had come to our dances before, and my parents hadn't even thought of canceling the dance. And they had said something about security. I was really curious as to what was going on, and what that paper my dad had been holding said.

"Oh please, Silver." Vince rolled his shoulders and I groaned. "Just get dressed. I'll stare at the ceiling." I heard my bed squeak as he fell back onto it.

I looked back at him. He wasn't looking at me. At least he had respect. I opened a drawer and pulled out the materials I needed to get breasts. I stuck my tongue out and made a gagging sound, then quickly changed out of what I had been wearing.

Tonight was going to suck. It wouldn't be exciting. Nothing exciting ever happened during the dances. I went to them, listened to my parents' speech, and danced with other royals. No one ever caught my attention either. I then remembered the boy with bright eyes and narrowed my eyes, thinking. I wondered if I should tell anyone about him. Well, he hadn't done anything to me. And even if he told people that someone who looked like the princess was in the garden no one would believe him. Wait. Hadn't he asked who the princess was? Maybe he didn't know what I looked like. That would be lucky. That raffle, too. I had to talk to my mom about that.

I looked at Vince when I finished getting dressed and frowned. He hadn't told me the truth. My dad had been holding something. I just had to figure out what it was. I sighed and walked over to my bed, collapsing down on it. I looked at Vince and he was still staring at the awning that covered my bed. I leaned over him and he blinked at me.

"Are you ready to go get food?" He asked, unsurprised.

"Tell me what my dad was holding." I said, watching him. He sat up and I blushed when he got close to my face.

"A letter. It was from the prince of Snaug, as I said." He leaned forward and kissed me. I frowned and pulled away.

"Why would he send a letter to my family?" I asked. Something suspicious was going on. "If something is going to happen-" I was cut off by his lips meeting mine again and I growled. I pushed him back and he fell onto my bed again. I stood and was about to say something but was cut off by a knock.

"Sylvie?" The special knock my mom had made came from the door. "Lunch is almost ready. Hurry and come to the dining hall." My mom said quietly.

"I'll be out soon." I said, looking outside. As soon as I heard her walk away I looked at Vince. "Why won't you tell me what my dad was holding?" I asked with a frown. "And why are you being so needy?" I asked, irritated. If he said something dumb...

"It was a letter. Your dad was holding a letter. I can't tell you what it said because you'll worry and want the dance cancelled." Vince stood and picked up my necklace. I continued to watch him. "I'm just trying to have fun while I'm able to be with you. You'll be finding the person you are to marry soon and I'll just be your guard again." He wrapped his arms around my neck and clasped my necklace together. "I like you, so I want to be with you. I know that you don't feel the same but-"

"What?" I asked, blushing. "What do you mean? I-I do, really. Why would you uh, why would you think I don't?" Great going, Silver. Make it so obvious he's right. I didn't want to hurt him but he already knew? That would be horrible! "I do like you, Vin." I grabbed his coat and pulled him into a kiss. "Thank you for telling me what my dad was holding. I don't thank you for not telling me what the letter said though." I walked towards my door. I don't think what I said made much sense. I pressed my necklace against my collar bone and cleared my throat. "Let's go get something to eat." I smiled at him and he smiled back. It was a sad smile. I always managed to get those.

He whispered something but I was already out of the door. "I hope whoever takes you away tonight is the one for you."

* * *

I yawned. There was only an hour left until the dance. I had eaten, tried on my dress, talked to my mom and dad about what I would do tonight, helped with decorations and now I was in the library. I had also asked my mom about the raffle and she said it was true. They provided clothes to the person that won the raffle, and they made the farmer or townsperson look like royalty. My parents were a lot nicer than I had thought.

It had started raining. The thunder from earlier was a sign that it would downpour. I wondered if everyone who had told my parents they would be coming would actually come. I flinched when lightning flashed in the sky and hugged a book closer to my chest when thunder boomed. I was not a fan of thunder and lightning. Not at all. I had to make sure no one knew I was afraid of it though. I looked around the library and sighed. I was alone.

"Snea!" My Sneasel poked its head out from the pillows on the couch. I smiled.

"I guess I'm not completely alone, huh?" I asked, watching as he crawled out from the pillows. My parents decided he would be able to explore the castle tonight. I went and got him from my room (I had left his Pokeball out and he had got caught in it) and he ran all over the place. I remember I had laughed and told him I would be in the library and he had just found me. I watched as he hopped down from the couch and walked over to the window. He put his claws on the sill and pointed outside.

"Snea! Sneas!" He said happily, smiling at me. I shook my head no and grabbed him, putting him on my lap.

"Not now. It's pouring outside." I said gently, looking back out the window. Thunder cracked in the sky and I jumped, curling my legs up. I had forgotten Sneasel was on my lap and gasped when I felt a hot liquid run down my arms.

"Shit!" I hissed, grabbing my wrist. My Sneasel scrambled off my lap and retracted his claws, touching my arm. He looked worried and I smiled at him. "It's okay, it's okay." I cooed, petting his head. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine." I stood and saw my other wrist had gotten cut too. "Just stay here, alright? I'll be back soon. Just stay here and hide, okay?" I told him, making my way towards the large door. Thankfully the library was just down the hall from our medics room.

I opened the door and turned to my Sneasel. I held my hand up. "Stay. Hide." I said, closing the door quietly. I looked down the halls and saw some servants were trudging about. I hid my wrists behind my back and quickly walked to the end of the hall.

I looked at the medics door and opened it. My eyes were closed in case someone was in and I coughed. "I'm sorry to bother you, Ms. Joy, but I need help." I said quietly, thankful my necklace hadn't gotten scratched. If it did then I wouldn't sound like a girl.

"Princess! Do open your eyes, dear. No one is in now." Ms. Joy said, grabbing my hands. I looked at her and saw her blue eyes full of concern. "What's happened to your wrists?" She asked, leading me over to a sink. She turned the water on and told me to wash my wounds.

"I was in the library and thunder rumbled. I accidentally fell on a bookshelf and my wrists got scratched up." I explained, watching the water clean my dried blood. I couldn't tell her what really had happened.

"Bookshelves can be dangerous. Stay here, and make sure you use soap to clean your wounds. I'll send a Pokemon to your mother and tell her to come here instantly." Ms. Joy said, putting a bar of soap by the faucet. "Make sure you use soap!" She said once more before she went to the back room. I washed my wrists and flinched as the water turned warm.

A few minutes passed and Ms. Joy came back. She took my wrists out of the water and dried them, and then she pressed down on both of them with a clean towel. She began asking me typical questions about the wounds, and I flinched as thunder cracked. My mom came bolting through the door soon after Ms. Joy had finished asking questions and ran towards me.

"Silver! Are you okay? What happened?" My mom asked, holding my face in her hands.

"Mom!" I gasped. "I'm not Silver, you know. I'm Sylvie." I hissed quietly, looking at Ms. Joy. She was watching both of us with a smile.

"Oh sweetie." My mom laughed and hugged me. "Ms. Joy knows you're a boy. She's known since we moved here." I stared at my mom and looked at Ms. Joy. I never even knew that. Did anyone else know I was a boy, adult wise? "Are you okay?" I heard my mom ask and nodded.

"I just fell on a bookshelf." I mumbled, watching Ms. Joy pull out some gauze and alcohol. I frowned and held my hands out so she could cover up my wounds.

"It must have been quite a fall." Ms. Joy said, looking at me. "Are you sure it wasn't a Pokemon? Because the cuts are curved and fairly deep. They're still bleeding, even though I applied quite a bit of pressure." She said calmly, pressing down on my wrists again. I bit my lip and shook my head.

"My Sneasel... But I promise, Mom, it wasn't his fault! I was holding him and then he got freaked by the noise and clung to me." I said, mentally smacking myself.

"Wouldn't that make it his fault though?" Ms. Joy asked, examining my wrists again. I looked at them and bit my lip. They looked bad.

"It's okay, Silver. Were you the one that got scared instead? I remember when you were little you always hid under a blanket until the rain passed." My mom said gently, looking at my wrists.

I stared at my mom and at Ms. Joy, sighing. "I got scared. I hugged him and he accidentally scratched me. Please don't go hurt him. It wasn't his fault. It was mine. Please don't take him away. He's my friend, Mom." I said quickly, staring at my mom. If she took him away then I wouldn't go to the party tonight.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I won't touch a single hair on his head." My mom kissed the top of my head and looked at Ms. Joy. "How bad are his cuts?"

I quickly tuned out their conversation and looked outside. This is what happens when I go off by myself. You'd think a sixteen year old boy would be more careful, but nooo. He has to go and get freaked out by a little thunder and then get babied by girls. So annoying.

"I think they'll stop bleeding soon. I'm just going to put an antibacterial on them and wrap them tightly in gauze." I was pulled out of thoughts and looked at Ms. Joy. "You have to make sure you don't bump them into anything while their wrapped up, okay Silver? It will only inflame them and make them bleed. You don't want that at your party, now do you?" She asked me with a smile. I didn't say anything and looked towards the ground. This sucked. At least now I understood how badly that boy must have been hurting from earlier.

"My Sneasel is worried. Can you go get him for me, Mom?" I asked suddenly, looking at her. "He's in the library." I added, flinching when Ms. Joy wiped away drying blood. My wrists really hurt. "I'll make sure I don't bump them into anything if they're going to sting that much." I muttered, looking at her. She raised an eyebrow at me and I looked at my mom. "Please? You said he could explore the castle. He needs to get out. He even has his claws put away; he won't hurt anyone. He's nice." I said, giving her a pleading look.

My mom looked at Ms. Joy. "I just have to clean up his wounds and wrap them. The party will be starting soon. I believe the king is currently greeting people at the gate. Go get his Sneasel and meet the visitors, your highness." Ms. Joy said, bowing her head. "I'll even help him with his dress. Go, he will be okay." She said in a kind tone, gesturing to the door.

My mom took a deep breath and said okay. She told me to be more careful and to have fun tonight. I groaned a response. A few minutes later my Sneasel was scratching at the door. Ms. Joy went and opened it, and he ran and hugged my leg.

After my wrists had been wrapped I was rushed to hurry and get dressed. Ms. Joy and I had to sneak to my room and I put on the dress faster than I had ever put on a dress before. Ms. Joy had the brilliant idea of wrapping my gauzed up wrists with ribbons the same dark color as my dress, and she put on my make-up and she did my hair up in a loose braid. After she was done she turned me around and I smiled. I did look rather pretty.

"How did you know how to do all of that stuff?" I asked, rubbing my eye. She hit my hand away and I frowned.

"No touching your face when you're wearing make-up!" She said, pushing me towards the door. "I'm a girl, Silver, which is why I'm able to do all that stuff. It honestly isn't that hard. Now hurry to the dance and have fun!" She called after me. I looked at her and she motioned me to hurry. I sighed and waved a thank you.

When I got to the ballroom doors I was stopped by Vince. "Princess! You must have forgotten your mask." He said, moving me out of the view of the other guards. There were a lot more of them out than usual.

"My mask?" I asked, confused. "Crap! It's a masquerade theme, isn't it? I can't believe I forgot." I grabbed my bangs and groaned. "What should I do, Vin? I don't have a mask or anything..." I trailed off and looked outside. It was still raining.

"Don't worry, your highness. The queen has prepared a mask for you. Just quietly sneak through the doors and go talk to her." Vince said, turning me back towards the ballroom. "Now go amaze everyone." He whispered in my ear and pushed me towards the doors. I looked back at him with a glare and he winked.

I looked at the doors and pushed one open slowly, peeking in once I could fit my head through. Everyone was dancing. There were a lot more girls now then there had been in the past. I looked around for my mom and saw her sitting on her throne. Duh. Of course she would be there. I squeezed through the doors and held my hand up so no one could see my face. I stayed by the wall and quickly made my way to her throne.

"Mom!" I whispered, ducking down behind her throne. I then realized I hadn't put on shoes and slapped my forehead.

"Sylvie? What are you doing hiding back there?" My mom sat up in her chair and looked back at me. "Oh! Your mask." She pulled a white, feathery mask out from Arceus knows where and held it out to me. "Hurry and put it on. How are your wrists? Do they feel better?" She asked quickly, looking back at all the royals. I was so thankful she hadn't noticed I was only wearing socks.

"They feel fine, thanks for asking." I whispered, taking the mask from her. They really weren't feeling any better. "Do you plan on introducing me any fancy way?" I asked, tightening my mask. I looked at my mom and she brushed some hair that got stuck under the mask out of my face. I had wanted to ask her how I looked but I quickly shrugged the thought away.

"Yes, but you have to go mingle with everyone first. Go and dance with people!" She smiled. I looked away and she grabbed my shoulder before I stood. "You look beautiful, Sylvie. Ms. Joy did a wonderful job." She whispered, letting my shoulder go.

I stood and dusted my dress off. "Thanks. Boys love to be told they look beautiful." I said sarcastically, hurrying away from the thrones. My dad must have been out dancing. Or guarding.

I looked around once I had gotten to the dance floor and saw the prince from Snaug. He was hard to ignore. I turned away and accidentally bumped into someone. I apologized quietly and looked towards the thrones when I heard my parents Chatot.

"Attention! Attention!" It sang, flapping its wings quickly. The noise died down and everyone looked at the Pokemon. "Princess has arrived! Princess has arrived! Find her amongst all the masks and dance with her! She is hidden quite well! Again, find her amongst all the masks and dance with her! She is hidden quite well!" It flapped back down to its perch and I groaned, looking at the ceiling. Way to introduce me, Mom!

I took a small step forward but was bumped again by someone. Everyone was so hyped now because the princess was here. I stumbled back but slipped on the freshly polished floor and fell backwards. I hit my wrists against a table of food and bit my lip to prevent a curse from coming out. I sunk to the floor, holding my right wrist, and rested my head against my hand. "Fuuuucckk." I hissed, feeling my shoulders shake. I could feel my wounds start to bleed again and took a deep breath.

"Sylvie?" I looked up when I heard someone and immediately frowned. It was the prince of Snaug. I looked away.

"Hello, Nigel." I whispered, standing.

"It is you! Are you okay?" He asked me, concerned. I looked at him. He would be decent looking if it weren't for the round glasses and the large acne scars. I averted my eyes and shook my head yes.

"I just sprained my wrist earlier, is all." I said with a smile, feeling my teeth clench up. My wrists really hurt now.

"That's a shame." Nigel said sadly, offering a hand to me. I heard a change in the music and looked at the ceiling again. "Would you like to dance to forget your pain?" He asked with a smile.

I offered a weak smile and began to shake my head no, holding my hands up in front of me. "I really suck at dancing... " I whispered, trying to walk back. I ran into the table again and gasped, flinching when Nigel pulled me away and to the center of the dance floor. He had grabbed my left wrist and I bit my lip and squeezed my eyes shut. It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. IT REALLY HURT.

"You know, Sylvie, you look very pretty tonight." Nigel started, twirling me. It was a song you dance fast to. I rolled my eyes and looked around. "I mean it. Your dress is absolutely stunning, and your hair is nicely done in a braid. You look beautiful."

I smiled. "Thank you, sir." I said softly, curtseying. The song was over, thank Arceus. I was about to say something but someone grabbed my middle and pulled me away. I sighed and looked at who had grabbed me. A familiar face. They were probably going to try to woe me.

I had been right. All of the other people I had danced with had tried to woe me too. They all said I looked so pretty and royal. I wanted to throw up. I was taking a small break and eating a strawberry when a boy who I had never seen before walked over to me. He took a blackberry and ate it, watching me. I looked away and he cleared his throat.

"Hello, my lady. Do you happen to know where the princess is?" He asked quietly. I looked at him and he was smiling.

"Well, I'm not supposed to say, but you're currently talking with her." I said quietly, smiling. He stared and I looked back at the dance floor.

"Oh! Oh, um." I looked back at the boy and he looked surprised. "I would like to humbly ask you for a dance, your highness." He bowed and I looked at my parents. My dad had come back to his throne. They were watching me.

"I suppose that would be okay." I said, looking at the symbol on his coat again. "You don't have to be so humble though. It is just a dance." I whispered, smiling at him. He looked sheepish and I laughed. I hated acting so stupid. "Where are you from?" I asked as he led me towards the center of the dance floor.

"Ah, I'm from Manningsfeild." The boy said, looking back at me. I stared at him. Manningsfeild was in Kanto. We were in Johto.

"Aren't you a long way from home?" I asked, frowning. "What would you be doing here?"

"I am quite a ways from home, but my family wanted to send me to this event so I could make friends. They also had told me the royals' sixteen year old daughter had not yet married, and I figured I should come check it out." The prince said with a smile, watching me. I chose to not say anything and looked around. "Why is it you haven't married yet?" He asked, catching my attention again. I bit my lip and was going to answer, but I was spun into another person's arms.

"My my!" I felt my eyes widen at the accent and I inwardly groaned. "Well hello there, ma chere." I gave a fake smile and looked at the weasel boy. If there was one person I absolutely hated, it was Simon. He was from France, but he decided to move here. His accent was very strong, and he was completed infatuated with me. He was gross.

"Hello, Monsieur." I said through clenched teeth. He was holding my wrists.

"Bonjour, ma chere! Do say bonjour!" He said, pulling me closer to him. I groaned and bit my lip.

"Salutations." I growled, trying to move away. He hugged me and I sighed.

"No no no! Bonjour, ma amour!" The weasel boy said, spinning me around. "Tu es superbe ce soir." He said, looking me in the eye. I looked away and tried to figure out what he had said. My French was pretty rusty.

"Um, merci... Beaucoup?" I asked, hoping I hadn't said anything I would regret.

"Oui, oui! You do deserve to look beautiful, since it is your night." He smiled and I gave a small, thin smile.

"I guess. I've been told I look beautiful by so many people already tonight though. It gets rather tedious." I sighed, looking around. I saw someone with dark hair watching me and furrowed my eyebrows.

"Ah, oui. Everyone just wants you to know how beautiful you are. However, if it is so much of a bother, might I ask si voulez-vous être marié avec moi?" Simon asked, staring at me. I looked at him and shook my head, not knowing what he had said.

"Excusez-moi, prince. May I dance with her?" I looked at another boy and frowned. I just wanted to relax. My wrists were killing me.

Simon looked at the boy then at me and sighed. He let me go and smiled. "Au revoir, ma chere." He whispered, kissing my cheek. I looked at the other boy. He had black hair and bright eyes. He looked familiar.

"I didn't expect that to work." The boy said with a smile, looking at me. He took my hand in his and led me away from the dance floor. "Do you have any idea what he asked you?"

"No. I don't particularly care." I mumbled, looking around. We had moved towards the back of the room and it had quieted down.

"That's not very nice, Princess." The boy said, looking towards the thrones. "He had asked if you would marry him. That's a brave thing to do."

I blushed and pulled my hand away from the dark haired boys. "I don't like him, so it doesn't matter. Who are you anyways? I don't see any symbol anywhere on your clothes." I muttered, watching everyone dance. He could be that boy from earlier, or he could have just not wanted to wear his symbol. I couldn't tell who he was because of the mask. If he would actually look at me I could see what his eye color was. I could know if he was the boy from earlier, with the gold eyes.

"I'm Hibiki." The boy grinned. I crossed my arms over my chest and hmph'd. "Why is it you're holding this party?" Hibiki asked, looking back at me.

I looked at him and shrugged. "My parents are trying to marry me." I muttered, looking at the boy again. "Why did you come?" I asked, curious. He reminded me of the boy who won the raffle, mostly because he had asked me an atypical question. And he had the same color hair as the other boy.

"I won a raffle." The boy said with a smile, looking around. I stared at him.

"So you are the boy from earlier…" I muttered, covering my mouth. "I mean, um, one of my servants had told me about you." I covered, frowning. I had slipped up so many times today.

"I had wanted to ask the princess a question tonight, but it seems I won't be able to." Hibiki muttered, looking back at me.

"What?" I was taken aback. What did he mean? "I'm the princess. If you want to ask me a question then go ahead." I said in a huff, putting my hands on my hips. I flinched because of my wrists and let my arms drop.

"No, you aren't the princess." Hibiki looked directly at me and I saw his eyes were gold. "You're the Prince."

"What? No, I'm not. Why would you even-" I looked towards the thrones when I heard a Pokemon screech and I gasped. I saw a purple Pokemon swinging from my parents Chatot's perch and glared at Hibiki. "What's going on?" I asked, feeling like he was responsible.

I saw all of the people on the dance floor were trying to get away from the monkey-like Pokemon and I looked back at Hibiki. He was holding a Pokeball and I gasped. "What did you do?" I looked for my parents and started to panic when I didn't see them.

"I'm sorry, Prince." I looked back at Hibiki and saw he had a cold look in his eyes. "Hypnosis." I turned around and saw a large bird Pokemon. I stared at it and my eyelids slid shut, and I fell to the floor.


	3. Chapter 2: Introductions

**Authors Notes:** This is kinda a filler chapter. Sorry! I have a feeling the next chapter will be long soo... Yeah. Enjoy! Please read and REVIEW! I love seeing peoples reviews!

**Warnings:** Umm a lying Hibiki! And some swearing, but that's kinda why this is rated T yo.

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I woke with a start when I heard someone swear. I sat up quickly and looked around. I was in... A forest? I saw a bright pink Pokémon sitting next to me and scooted away from it, running into a cold lump. I looked down and laughed under my breath when I saw it was my Sneasel. I touched his head and he sat up quickly, looking at me with a surprised look. He hugged me and I hugged him back, thankful he was here. I had no idea where I was, or what was going to happen to me.

"Chan?" I looked at the pink Pokémon and held my hands up when it moved towards me. It waddled. It was kind of funny looking.

"Please don't come near me." I whispered, moving back. It was hard to move along the forest floor in a dress and socks. I noticed my wrists had been rewrapped with a clean bandage and I looked at the Pokémon. They weren't hurting as much as they had been. The pain was more like an itch, actually. I tore the bandage off my right wrist and saw the cut had closed and was almost healed.

"Soft-boiled." I looked up and saw Hibiki. He wasn't wearing his mask anymore. I glared at him.

"What did you do?" I growled, moving further back. Whatever the hell he did he would pay for. The pink Pokémon's egg was glowing and I scurried away from it. What was it doing?

"Calm down, Prince." Hibiki said with a smile, sitting down across from me. He had changed out of what he had been wearing and now he wore strange clothes. I moved further back and ran into a tree. My Sneasel was watching Hibiki with his claws out and I glared at the black haired boy.

"I told you, I'm not a boy. I'm a girl." I said quietly, hearing some movement through the trees. I looked behind my shoulder and shivered.

"Right." Hibiki laughed and I frowned. "If you aren't a boy, then I don't have black hair, I don't have gold eyes, I'm totally a girl, and I didn't fix up your wounds." He paused and looked away. "I didn't just save you." I heard more rustling in the trees and I curled my legs up.

The pink Pokémon's egg stopped glowing and it walked towards me, holding it out to me. "What did you do? Why did you kidnap me?" I asked Hibiki, moving away from the Pokémon. I placed my hand on a stick and stumbled backwards, hitting my head against a rock. I groaned and grabbed my head, sitting up. I froze when I saw a rugged man glaring at me behind Hibiki and I gasped.

"I didn't kidnap you. I fixed your wounds. Eat the egg Chansey is giving you. And Bruce, stop hiding." Hibiki said calmly, pulling a pokeball out. He clicked the button to release a Pokémon and the guy fell backwards.

"No, please no." The guy held his hands up and a white flash came out of the ball. I squinted and blinked, seeing the same bird Pokémon from earlier.

"Confusion." Hibiki said, touching his Pokémon's wing. I saw a faint glow and then the man passed out. I watched as Hibiki turned around to talk to the man and looked at the pink Pokémon as it poked me with its egg.

"No, thanks." I stood and grabbed my Sneasel's wrist. I quickly left the small clearing I had been in and walked quietly through the trees. I had to get back home. I had to tell my parents that the boy who won the raffle was a kidnapper. What did he even mean, he didn't kidnap me? Of course he kidnapped me!

"Where are you going?" I froze when a purple monkey Pokémon fell and bounced from a tree branch and squeezed my Sneasel's wrist. I looked behind me and glared.

"I'm escaping my kidnapper." I said, letting my Sneasel go in front of me. "Scratch." He ran towards Hibiki and hit his leg, then ran up a tree and hid behind a branch.

Hibiki fell to a knee and his monkey Pokémon dropped from the tree, running over to him. "You had to make him scratch my already sore leg, didn't you?" Hibiki asked through clenched teeth, looking at the pink Pokémon as it ran over to him. It gave him the egg it had been holding and he took it, quickly pulling a chunk off and eating it.

I looked at my Sneasel as he hopped from the tree he had been in to the one above me. "Why did you kidnap me?" I asked, watching as Hibiki ate the egg. I saw his bloodied wound close slowly as he ate it and I inhaled sharply. Was the pink Pokémon some kind of healer or something?

"I told you, I didn't kidnap you. I saved you." Hibiki said, whispering something to the pink Pokémon.

"If you saved me then let me go back home. That's where I'm safest." I said with a frown, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't trust him at all.

"You can't go back home. That's where the danger is." Hibiki said, finishing the egg. His pink Pokémon was holding another egg and I watched it walk over to me.

"What danger is at my home?" I asked, shooing the Pokémon away. "If someone dangerous is at my castle then go back and save my parents. They were worried about something earlier today."

"The person who wants you doesn't want to hurt your parents. In fact, they probably already left the castle. They know where we are." Hibiki said, looking back towards the clearing.

"Some rescuer you are." I scoffed. Why would the person this boy saved me from want me only? That was stupid.

"I saved you. That's what I had to do. Now I have to take you to a safe house until the enemy is..." He trailed off and turned around. "Stay here. I'll explain everything when I come back." He said, touching his Chansey's head. I think the pink Pokémon was a Chansey.

"Really? Why should I believe you?" I asked with narrowed eyes. "Where do you even have to go in such a hurry? Aren't you worried about my safety?" I growled, forgetting my princess manners.

"I'm not leaving you defenseless. Chansey and Aipom will be with you. You won't get hurt." Hibiki looked at me and smiled. "I'll tell you everything soon. I promise." He turned around and disappeared through the trees.

I grunted and looked at the two Pokémon he had left. The Aipom hopped into the tree Sneasel was in and held its hand out to him, offering a handshake. I watched as Sneasel shook the monkeys hand and I sighed. I sat against a thin tree and looked at Chansey. It looked dejected. It was cradling the egg in its nubby hands and I held my hand out to it. "You want me to eat that, right?" I asked quietly, smiling when it looked at me. Its face brightened and it waddled over to me, placing the egg in my hand. "This won't kill me, right?" I asked cautiously, looking at it.

"Chans, chan chansey!" It said, shaking its head no. Its whole body moved and I leaned against the tree.

"Cool." I took a bite of the egg and blinked. It tasted like a hardboiled egg, but a lot tastier. I looked at Chansey and saw it was watching Sneasel and Aipom playing. "Sneasel, show some manners. Ms. Chansey over here is lonely." I called up to my Pokémon, taking another bite of the egg. Chansey looked flustered and I smiled. "You guys should be friends. Sneasel doesn't have any Pokémon friends. I'm his only friend, and I'm not the best of company."

"Snea!" Sneasel denied what I said and I rolled my eyes jokingly. He hopped down from the tree and walked over to Chansey, looking back at me.

"Don't look at me, dude. I'm not your wingman. Make friends by yourself." I said, pulling the wrapping off my other wrist. It had healed and I looked at the egg. Weird.

"Sneasel, snea sneas..." Sneasel muttered, looking at Aipom. "Sneasel snea!" He called, motioning for the other Pokémon to come down.

I watched Aipom come down and smiled. "Too shy to talk to a girl by yourself, Sneasel?" I asked, getting a glare from my Pokémon.

"Snea snea sneas!" He said angrily, crossing his arms.

"Aipom, pom?" Aipom asked, looking at Chansey.

"Chansey." Chansey sighed. "Chan, chans." She walked over to Sneasel and gave him a hug.

"Snea!" Sneasel gasped and looked at me frantically. I had zoned out and was thinking about what had happened. Did my kidnapper actually save me?

"Sneasel..." I heard Sneasel moan and I looked at him. He was getting hugged by both Aipom and Chansey and I grinned.

"They want to be your friends, huh?" I asked, looking at my wrists. Chansey was a pretty good Pokémon to have around, if it could heal people easily. "I wish I could understand pokespeech." I mumbled, watching as the three Pokémon separated and looked behind me. I looked at them and then felt cold fingers on the back of my neck and froze.

I felt the fingers unclasp my necklace and I gasped as it was lifted from my neck. "This is quite a dangerous item to have." Hibiki's voice caught my attention and I turned around.

"Give it back." I stood and reached for my necklace but Hibiki moved to the other side of the tree. I glared at him as he walked towards his Pokémon.

"Chans! Chansey chan!" Chansey hugged his arm and Aipom hopped on his head. Hibiki laughed and I stood, crossing my arms.

"You're a girl?" He asked me coolly, petting his Aipom's head. "Right. You have a very boyish voice for a girl." He looked at my necklace and turned it over in his hand. He clicked the button on the back and I growled.

"You said you would tell me everything." Sneasel rubbed against my leg and I scratched behind his ear. "So talk."

"Before I answer any questions, I have three to ask you." Hibiki looked at me and I frowned. "Don't worry, you'll be able to answer them." He smiled, watching me.

What kind of questions could he possibly have for me? I sighed and looked at Sneasel. "What questions?"

"Well, who are you? The person I'm talking to now and the person that was talking to my Pokémon are very different people. The person I talked to at the dance is also very different then you right now." Hibiki said, looking into the trees.

I stared at him. "I don't know. I'm a lot of different things. I have a problem with my personality." I muttered, looking towards the grass. "Why does it even matter?"

"I like to talk to the real person when I meet new people. If you don't know what your real personality is then that can be a problem. However, I'm not much better." Hibiki looked at the sky and smirked. I frowned. He was weird. "What's your name? Your real name." He asked, looking back at me.

Should I tell him? I didn't know if I could trust him. "Why should I tell you? How do I know I can trust you? You haven't done anything that would make me—"

"I came back for you." He interrupted me and I bit my tongue. "If I had wanted to hurt you I would have. I wouldn't have fixed your wounds. I've told you the truth about everything so far." He looked at his Aipom and I pressed my lips together. If he had wanted to hurt me he would have. He wouldn't have fixed my wounds. He would have made them worst.

I sighed and looked at him. "Silver."

"Silver? Just like your eyes..." Hibiki whispered, grinning. "My real name is Ethan."

"Your real name?" I asked, confused. This boy had a lot of mysteries.

"Well, it isn't my real name but it's the name all of my colleagues call me by. It's my main name." Hibiki, or Ethan, said.

"Colleagues? What do you mean?" I asked, feeling even more lost. What was he talking about?

Hibiki laughed and I frowned. "I'll explain everything soon. Just let me ask my last question, okay?" I watched him, getting annoyed. Just who the hell was he? What did he do? Was he really telling the truth? "How old are you?"

"You waste the last question on that?" I asked incredulously. I narrowed my eyes and sighed, crossing my arms. "I'm seven." I said flatly.

"You're the biggest seven year old I've ever seen" Hibiki said with a smile, knowing what I meant. "I'm seven too." I looked at him and scoffed.

"You look like an eight year old, not a seven year old." I muttered, watching my Sneasel poke Chansey. So he was the same age as me. How splendid.

"Is there really any difference between the two ages? You're still too young to do anything, and no one takes you seriously." Hibiki said, a different look in his eyes. He looked... Upset.

"I get taken seriously." I mumbled, looking at the ground.

"That's cause you're a royal." Hibiki said quickly, looking at me. "It's my job to protect you. So hey, I'm Ethan, a Royal Protector." He smiled at me and I frowned. "Ask any questions you have now, Prince."

~!Please read and review!~


	4. Chapter 3: Questions

**Author's Note:** Hey all~ I already started on the next chapter to this story, and after I finish it I will work on the next chapter to Desk Talk. I'm also going to put up a one-shot soon. Anyways, please read and review! *A*

**Warnings: **Death, blood, cursing, Ethan being a lil'liar.

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"Any questions I have?" I asked, watching as Hibiki walked up to his Chansey. I didn't know what his name was anymore.

"Yup. I'm an open book." He said with a smile, kneeling down to pet his Chansey's head.

"An open book... Fine." I looked at the ground. If he was really an open book then he would tell me his real name, right? "What's your name? Your real name?"

Hibiki looked at me and gave a small smile, then stood and pulled at his bangs. "I'm an open book with secret compartments. You can call me Ethan. I don't think you'll ever know my real name, since we'll be together for only a short while. It's kind of pointless."

I scowled. Open book my ass. "If we're only together for a short while why won't you tell me your name? It's not like I'll ever tell anyone." I crossed my arms over my chest. He was definitely going to get on my nerves.

Ethan looked at me and I looked away. "It's safer if you don't know it. Just leave it at that." He looked back at his Chansey and I saw he looked pained.

I growled. He had said he was an open book, but he wasn't telling me anything. I sighed and let my arms drop. "A different question, then. What's a Royal Protector?" If I couldn't figure out any of his personal information then I would figure out what it is he does. When I got home I could tell my parents about him.

"Ah, there's a good question. A Royal Protector is someone who protects royals. Typically the guardian of a royal contacts us and has us come to them to protect the royal, but sometimes we get sent to the royal by our leader. It's pretty simple, honestly." Ethan explained, smiling. "It's a fun job. I get to meet all sorts of people."

I don't care if he thought it was fun. I wanted answers. "Did my parents contact you? I remember they were worried earlier..." I mumbled, staring at the ground. If that was the case they would already know about him. They wouldn't be worried for me.

"Your parents did contact me. There had been a letter sent to your father saying that someone was going to take you away tonight. They contacted my employer and asked if someone would protect you. I volunteered, and now here I am." Ethan said, resting against a tree.

I stared at Ethan. He had taken me away. Could he have sent the letter to my dad? I brushed the thought off and focused on what I should ask. "Who would want to take me away?" I frowned, looking back at the ground.

"The same person who asked if you would marry him." I looked at Ethan and furrowed my eyebrows. "His name is Simon Prevot. He danced with you before I danced with you."

"Why would he want to take me?" Simon seemed nice. Well, nice enough. I didn't like him but I didn't think he would kidnap me.

"So he can have control over your kingdom." I bit my lip and looked at Ethan. "You do realize your kingdom is the largest one in Johto, right? It's the top trading partner for food and textiles. If he had control over it, he would be dangerous. That's why he asked if you would marry him. He wants your kingdom."

I took a deep breath. Why didn't I think about that? It was kind of obvious now. Everyone at the dance wanted to woe me so they could control the kingdom. I was stupid. "So my parents contacted you?"

"My employer. I have to take you to our base until I get word from your parents that they've gotten Simon." Ethan looked towards the sky. It was already dark out. Probably close to six.

"So I'm stuck with you for an indefinite amount of time? Wait... Is that why you talked to me in the garden? Because you knew I was the person you had to protect?" I asked, something finally clicking in my head. I still didn't believe that Simon had wanted to take me though. Or that Ethan was telling the truth. Not the entire truth.

"Yeah. I could have told you at the time that someone was going to be after you, but I had to wait until the dance. My boss is very picky." Ethan sighed and I pressed my lips together.

"Then why didn't you just tell me at the dance?" I asked.

"Because it would have taken too long. You wouldn't have believed me. It's best to make a fast getaway, which is what I did. And before we actually go to any safe house, you have to trust me. You absolutely have to trust me." Ethan said seriously, looking at me.

I stared at him. Could I trust him though? He did heal my wrists, and he hadn't threatened to kill me. That was always a plus. If my parents contacted him then that had to mean they trusted him. He knew about the letter too. My parents had been worrying about that. Maybe he was telling the truth. I sighed and looked away. "If you prove that you won't hurt me and you aren't lying then I'll trust you."

"Most people trust me from the start. I guess you aren't like most people, huh?" Ethan smiled and I stiffened. "What do I have to do to make you trust me? Want me to go beat up bad guys or something?"

I shook my head no. "I want to change out of this dress. If Simon is looking for me then it would be better if I didn't look like myself, right?"

Ethan stared, surprised. "Yeah. That's actually true. I'm impressed."

"I hate dresses. If I'm not going home soon then I don't want to wear them" I said with a sigh.

"We can go to a safe house and in the morning go get different clothes. There's a safe house not far from here." Ethan said, pulling two Pokeballs off his belt. He clicked the center buttons and both Chansey and Aipom returned to their balls. "Does your Sneasel have a ball?"

"I left it back in my room." I muttered, looking into the trees. Were there anymore people out there that wanted to hurt me? Or worse, marry me? And who was that Bruce guy Ethan took out? I was curious. That never led to anything good.

"Here." Ethan threw a black and gold ball at me and I caught it, looking at him. "Keep Sneasel in that. He needs to be kept away while we travel. When we get to the safe house you can let him out."

"Snea?" Sneasel poked at the ball and it opened, sucking him into it. The ball moved in my hand and it clicked after three turns.

"Shall we leave for the safe house, then?" Ethan smiled as he attached his last Pokeball to his belt. "Remind me to get you a belt when we shop for clothes. And some Pokeballs." He turned and walked through the trees.

I looked back towards the clearing we had been in and saw a body was wrapped in rope. I continued to stare at it and gasped when the person sat up, and hurried after Ethan when the person looked at me. I accidentally ran into him and looked away before he looked back at me.

"What? Whoa, it looks like you saw a ghost. Did you see a ghost?" He asked, looking back towards the clearing. I looked back at the clearing also and saw the person had disappeared.

"They're gone..." I muttered, looking at Ethan. "Have you ever killed anyone?" I looked away and bit my lip. He wouldn't need to have killed anyone, right? He was just a protector, not a knight or anything.

"Why the sudden question?" Ethan asked, scanning the trees.

"Just answer it." I said quietly, staring at the ground. I still had a lot of questions, and he hadn't told me to stop asking them. I was afraid of his answer though.

"I thought you were done asking questions." Ethan said, looking towards a tree branch. "Get down." He whispered, grabbing my wrist and pulling me behind him.

"What?" I barely managed to finish my question before something came crashing through the trees. I looked at Ethan and he smiled, then pushed me back. I stumbled back and fell into a dip in the ground.

"Stay quiet." I glared at him and then saw a glint above his head.

"Behind you..." I whispered, watching as a person slashed at Ethan. Ethan ducked out of the way and cut the attackers stomach. Why did Ethan have a knife?

I gasped as the knife was knocked out of his hand and grabbed my head when it went flying towards me. I looked at it and then looked at Ethan, then quickly stood as I saw the person who had crashed through the trees had a knife pressed against Ethan's neck. "Wha... What the hell?" I asked, staring at Ethan. His neck had a thin cut on it from where the knife was digging into his skin.

The attacker looked at me and I stiffened. "Who's this? Your girlfriend? Or your next victim?" I stared at him and then looked at Ethan. He avoided my eyes and smirked at the attacker.

"Why am I the only one who can tell he's a guy?" Ethan asked, looking into the trees. "You know..." A hand came down and punched the attacker in the back of the head. Ethan bit the guys hand and was released for his grasp. He grabbed the knife from his Aipom and ducked when the attacker swung at Ethan. "If you kill me you'll never hear what she said." He ran around his attacker and flinched. I stared. What the hell was going on? Victim? Hear what she said? Why had he flinched? Did he get hurt?

"She couldn't have said anything!" The attacker looked back at Ethan and then gasped. "No, no please..." I gasped when a knife slid through the attackers' neck and covered my mouth. I sunk to the ground and stared at Ethan.

_"Thank you."_ He whispered, pulling his knife out of the attackers' neck. "She hated herself. I did her a favor." He looked at me and I felt my eyes widen. He looked evil. His eyes were cold.

"Liar..." The attacker choked out. I looked at him and saw a pool of blood was coming from his neck.

I gagged and felt my blood go cold. I looked at Ethan and saw his neck was bleeding. I stared at him and he stared at me, the cold look leaving his eyes. He looked sorrowful. I felt my head get light and the world started spinning. I closed my eyes and fell back.

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Yoyoyoyoyoo review please~ It makes me motivated to write more and more- Now to go eat food mm


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